County commissioners take swipe at county property appraiser

Still smarting over Broward Property Appraiser Lori Parrish’s budget – approved by the state but more than county commissioners wanted to pay – commissioners want to change state law.

Their proposal to give them more sway over Parrish’s spending was buried on page 7 of the 29-page 2014 state legislative program Broward County government prepared for a joint meeting Tuesday with the county’s state legislators and senators.

It stems from the fight of the county budget for the year that started Oct. 1.

Parrish’s budget was approved, as specified by state law, by the Florida Department of Revenue. (Parrish said she needed an increase, among other things, to hire more investigators who pay for themselves by bringing in more tax revenue than they cost.)

But commissioners didn’t want to fork over the dough, an issue that’s now in court.

The County Commission also wants to prohibit the Department of Revenue from approving a constitutional officer’s budget if the amount is more than a county commission wants to spend “absent clear and convincing evidence showing the Constitutional Officer's budget has been significantly underfunded and the budget approved by the County, in comparison to previously approved budgets, will not permit the Constitutional Officer to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the office.”

It never came up in the hour and a half meeting between county commissioners and state legislators.

It might not have gotten a sympathetic hearing. State Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek, said it’s a lousy idea. A county commission shouldn’t have so much authority over an independent elected official. He said that violates a principle of checks and balances in American government.

Waldman, who’s a political ally of Parrish, said it likely would not have been well received if the county side had mentioned it.

Here’s the text of the county’s request. Though it doesn’t mention Parrish or her office, make no mistake, it’s aimed at her.

CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICE BUDGETS

Support legislation amending state law to change the date by which a state agency must approve a Constitutional Officer's budget until after a county has adopted its final budget and final millage rate in accordance with s. 200.065(2)(d), F.S. The Board further supports legislation prohibiting a state agency from approving a Constitutional Officer's budget that exceeds the County's approved final budget for such office absent clear and convincing evidence showing the Constitutional Officer's budget has been significantly underfunded and the budget approved by the County, in comparison to previously approved budgets, will not permit the Constitutional Officer to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the office.